Stephen Mejias

I’ve been enjoying Comet Gain’s upcoming album, Howl of the Lonely Crowd, 13 songs and 42 minutes of intelligent, heartfelt, poetic rock and soul&#151timeless, honest, and inspiring.

The album’s opening track, “Clang of the Concrete Swans,” is like something from Springsteen’s Born to Run, as it urges:

Find the forever in what you’re thinking
Find the forever in who you’re kissing
Escape, escape, escape into your dream
Escape, escape, escape right out of here

Howl of the Lonely Crowd will be available on October 4th from What’s Your Rupture.

Nite Jewel’s glittery, slinky sound recalls the pop and R&B of the late 80s and early 90s&#151stuff that you might have heard on Hot 97 or Z100 when you were 12 years old, searching for an identity, a groove, or simply for something good on the radio.

I can't help it: I like it.

I’ve mentioned my excitement for Oneohtrix Point Never’s upcoming album, Replica. Scheduled for release by Mexican Summer on November 8, it’s sure to be one of my favorite albums of 2012.

A month ago, we listened to “Sleep Dealer,” and now we can listen to the title track, a steady and introspective 4:36 of piano, synth, and tape drones.

Yes! The first track from Oneohtrix Point Never’s upcoming Mexican Summer release, Replica, is now available for our listening pleasure. Simultaneously playful and sensual, the track is called “Sleep Dealer” and showcases Daniel Lopatin’s knack for combining electronic and human sounds in distinct and curious fashion.

I love it! If “Sleep Dealer” is any indication of what Replica has to offer&#151and I think it is&#151we are in for a treat.

Oneohtrix Point Never - Sleep Dealer by Mexican Summer

Remember what the press release said:

Replica is an electronic song cycle based around lo-fi audio procured from television advertisement compilations. These sample-based meditations are as lyrical as they are ecological, featuring repurposed “ghost vocals” which serve as narration for Lopatin’s signature amorphous, ambient passages.

Sounds about right. Replica will be released on November 8.

I’ve been enjoying “Bambi” and “Red Song,” two new pulsing, angular, seductive tracks from Montreal’s Suuns.

Suuns - Bambi b/w Red Song by DOJAGSC

The band explains:

Marantz has introduced four new, relatively affordable products: two integrated amplifiers and two disc players. All carry on the sleek, attractive design of the company’s reference components, featuring the classic Marantz star logo (cool), sculpted faceplates, and solid-looking build.

Christian recommendedhttp://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/041607listening/">recommended…; a great new band to me: The">http://www.thebesnardlakes.com/">The Besnard Lakes. Listening to them reminds me of Brian Wilson and Pink Floyd and My Morning Jacket. There are shiny falsettos, dream sequences, and reverb-drenched solos. It's music that I want to share with my girlfriend. A Google search then led me to the band's record label, Jagjaguwarhttp://www.jagjaguwar.com/">Jagjaguwar;. There, I found a happy surprise: entire albums — freely flowing streams of music — not only from The Besnard Lakes, but also from a couple of other interesting bands, Odawashttp://www.odawastheband.com/Odawas/Main.html">Odawas; and Alex">http://www.alexdeliverymusic.com/">Alex Delivery.